Yankees' Teixeira sits again with leg injury: 'It's not getting better'

Mark Teixeira has started just one game for the New York Yankees since fouling a ball off his leg Aug. 17, and the 35-year-old didn't sound optimistic about his status after being omitted from the lineup again Friday in Atlanta.

"It's not as good as I would have hoped," Teixeira told ESPN's Wallace Matthews. "I can't run. It's just as simple as that.''

Teixeira, who leads the Yankees in both home runs (31) and OPS (.906), grounded out in his ninth-inning, pinch-hit plate appearance Wednesday, the day after starting for the first time since hurting his leg last Monday.

"I think we're all concerned because we thought we'd have a player today," said Yankees manager Joe Girardi. "Any time you take your cleanup hitter out, that's a big bat to lose. So other guys are going to have to step up."

Teixeira, limited to just 138 games from 2013 to 2014 due to various injuries, echoed Girardi's sentiments, noting that his leg is "not where it needs to be."

"The thing that is a little concerning is we've given it time – we've given it plenty of time – and it's not getting better," Teixeira said. "I don't think it's going to get worse. I hope it doesn't get worse, because if it does then we're dealing with something else."

His continued absence is particularly impactful with three games looming at Turner Field, where the Yankees won't have the benefit of the designated hitter, consequently forcing the team's second-best hitter, Alex Rodriguez, to the bench along with Teixeira.

"We've missed Tex," said Rodriguez. "We work well together. Mark Teixeira for me is the MVP of the American League. We miss him on both sides of the ball. He's a winner. So obviously we don't want to lose him for any amount of time."